Couple's Alton Towers wedding in the balance after clash with Muslim fun day

By CHRIS BROOKE, Daily Mail

Last updated at 19:42 11 July 2006

It seemed liked the ultimate fun and family-friendly wedding.

With so many children due to attend, Amanda Morris and Scott Lee decided a two-day wedding celebration at Alton Towers would be the perfect way to get hitched.

They paid £5,000 to book a lavish ceremony at the attraction's hotel and planned to spend the first day of their honeymoon on the theme park rides with their 60 guests.

Unfortunately the happy couple did not realise their day out would clash with a special Muslim fun day that means married couples will be banned from going on rides together, all women must cover up their bodies in accordance with religious custom and alcohol is forbidden.

Now the devastated couple must decide whether to put up with the restrictive rules on September 17 and share the attraction with up to 28,000 Muslims or reorganise their 'dream' wedding.

Miss Morris, 30, said: 'It's like a nightmare, we have been planning this for so long and now this happens. People are ringing us saying it must be a joke. I don't know what we are going to do now.'

Miss Morris and Mr Lee, a 30-year-old market stall holder, have been engaged for six years and booked the wedding 18 months ago - before the park was hired out to an Islamic company for the fun day aimed at 'integrating Muslims into the wider community.'

They were never informed of the clash themselves and only found out about the problem nine weeks before the big day when a relative received a letter from Alton Towers.

The advice read: 'While the park will remain accessible to you on this day, due to the numbers expected you may wish to change your booking.'

The original plan was for the wedding and reception at the theme park's hotel on Saturday September 16 followed by a day on the rides with their guests on the Sunday.

They will be allowed to go to the theme park the day after the ceremony as planned, but would not be able to go on many rides together because of the single sex rules and a glass of Champagne would be strictly forbidden.

Music ban

Among the other changes that will affect the usual atmosphere is a ban on music and the serving of Halal food only.

Miss Morris, a recruitment sales advisor from Leeds, said: 'We have been to Alton Towers a lot as it's a great fun day out. Our family and friends have a lot of young children and we thought it would be a great idea to include that in our wedding plans.'

The bride-to-be does not blame organisers of the Muslim day, but is reluctant to 'gatecrash their day.'

'I don't think we should have to wear specific dress and be told what we can and can't do. And their rules on ride segregation means that Scott and I won't be able to go on them together. We have found ourselves in a difficult situation and we don't know what todo for the best.

'If I had wanted to just go to a hotel I would have done it closer to home. The park was the main part of the wedding. All our family, some of whom have never been, are really excited and now I have to break the news that it might be all off.'

The couple have contacted the organisers of the Muslim fun day, who confirmed their wedding party would have to adhere to their terms and conditions.

Yaseen Patel, director of Islamic Leisure, said women would have to wearing clothing that covered up their bodies, although they would not have to wear the traditional Muslim head scarf.

Mr Patel confirmed many rides would be single sex only, but said nearly 80 per cent of the park would be available for families to enjoy together.

'Designated adult rides will be rotated between men and women throughout the day,' he said. 'It will be a peaceful family environment and we would like to offer the couple two complimentary tickets.'

A spokeswoman for Alton Towers said: 'We sincerely apologise for the way in which the wedding party were informed of the event taking place on September 17. We are currently discussing all the options available with the party, and are confident we will ensure their wedding weekend is everything they dreamed it would be.'